Berkshire Creative Economy

MASS MoCA – Fall: Courtesy of Danny O

A Report to the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation Prepared by

March 2007

INTRODUCTION The Berkshires is a premier cultural destination

Brief history and overview FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS, the living cathedral of the Berkshires—its rural tapestry of forests, hills, and mountains that changes hues with each new season—has attracted writers, musicians, actors, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Through its network of villages, small towns, and cities stitched into the landscape, the Berkshires has often prospered as a source of industrious ingenuity, creating a way of life conducive to artistic expression and cultural enterprise. From Herman Melville to Edith Wharton, American writers have found refuge here to work. In America’s Gilded Age, it was a destination of choice for the wealthy, creating a rich legacy of mansions, cottages, and gardens. Ventfort Hall, an Elizabethan-style mansion, was built in 1893 for Sarah Morgan, the sister of J.P. Morgan, and is now the home of the Museum of the Gilded Age. Bellefontaine Mansion, built in 1897 as a copy of Louis XIV’s Petit Trianon, is now the home of Canyon Ranch Spa. Tanglewood, where writer Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family once resided as renters, now serves as the storied summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Arrowhead, Ashley House, Naumkeag, The Mount, Chesterwood, and Wheatleigh are all home to elaborate gardens More recently, in the 1950s, the Berkshires became the location of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, with its 140-acre campus at the base of Stone Hill. Its two-year graduate program in the history of art, run in partnership with Williams College, has graduated hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to become curators and directors at the nation’s leading museums. Today, the Berkshires is one of the premier cultural destinations, offering world-class quality events and a depth of cultural choices, all in a rural landscape rich in natural beauty. Yet, from underneath this polished veneer, something new, edgy, and exciting is emerging. The region’s artistic and cultural institutions have become the prologue for a new, potent economic engine.

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The creative tension between artist and landscape, survival and success, has fashioned a new, vibrant economic pulse. It has great potential to move the creative economy of the Berkshires. The result is a unique creative economy, one that is helping drive the regional economy towards prosperity in the 21st century and differentiate it in an evolving global economy.

The changing context

What is the creative economy? And, why is it important? CREATIVE SECTOR — DEFINITION

The enterprises and people involved in the production and distribution of goods and services in which the aesthetic, intellectual, and emotional engagement of the consumer gives the product value in the marketplace. CREATIVE SECTOR—SCOPE

The Creative Sector in the Berkshires includes non-profit cultural institutions, commercial businesses, and individual artists. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE ROLE of arts and culture in their community, many residents and businesses in the Berkshires talk about the region’s well-known major cultural institutions. They mention Tanglewood, Shakespeare & Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Barrington Stage Company, Hancock Shaker Village, Berkshire Theater Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, MASS MoCA, the Norman Rockwell Museum, and the Clark, to name a few. Some note the recent influx of artists into North Adams and Pittsfield, sparking revitalization activity. When residents and businesses discuss the economic importance of arts and culture, the focus historically has been on the tourism industry. To many, the region’s artistic and cultural institutions are viewed as “tourist attractions.” In turn, economic development and business attraction strategies have historically focused on more traditional sectors, such as financial services and manufacturing. Now, this is beginning to change. Historically, arts and culture have played a significant role in the Berkshires. They have clearly been important to the quality of life in Berkshire County, and they have certainly contributed to the county’s economy by bringing in tourist dollars and selling products to local and regional markets. However, as arts and culture activities have grown and evolved, and transitioned to what is now called the Creative Sector, their economic importance has increased substantially. 3

In effect, the creative sector is now largely an “export-based” economic sector, in which products and services are distributed and sold worldwide. Artists in Berkshire County are currently selling their work at national and international trade shows, through galleries in the Northeast and in the U.S., and on the Internet to arts consumers all over the world. Arts businesses in the county are producing goods that are sold in the global marketplace. And, nonprofit arts institutions are exporting and selling their products and services through traveling performances and exhibits, and by developing training and education programs that are packaged and widely marketed as new products. This export-based nature of the creative sector means that more revenues are coming into the Berkshire economy, thereby enriching the county’s economy. Why is it important to nurture and strengthen the creative sector? Here are the research findings: • • • • • • • • • • •

a strong creative sector translates directly to a strong Berkshires economy; individual artists and creative businesses add important economic value to the region; the cultural institutions’ economic role in the Berkshires is broader than imagined; the creative sector has links with and strengthens traditional economic sectors; overall, the creative sector includes an estimated 6,100 jobs; significant economic potential exists in the development of new cultural products; the creative sector creates new jobs in technical areas, in services, and in management; the creative sector serves as a tool for revitalizing the downtown area of cities and towns; the creative sector serves as an influential amenity to attract other businesses and residents to the Berkshires; the activities of the creative sector represent a key product of the hospitality industry in the Berkshires; and the growth of the creative sector increases the economic competitiveness of other sectors in the Berkshires.

Most importantly, the creative industries have increasingly been recognized as an area of significant growth in the global economic arena. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates that the global market value of the creative industries has increased from $831 billion in 2000 to $1.3 trillion in 2005. Similarly, a United Kingdom study predicted a 46 percent employment growth in the creative economy sector over the next two decades. As Berkshire businesses and residents look to shape the region’s future economic blueprint, the creative economy sector presents significant opportunity for business development and job growth.

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The Berkshire Creative Economy Project

Purpose and Process AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF BERKSHIRE BLUEPRINT, the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation initiated the Berkshire Creative Economy Project to research and develop a strategic plan and report, working with leaders from the region’s cultural and artistic institutions and the region’s business community. The research, conducted between April and October 2006, was undertaken by Mt. Auburn Associates, financed through a grant from the John Adams Innovation Institute, the economic development division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Mt. Auburn Associates is a leading national consulting firm whose pioneering work with New York City, the state of Louisiana, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the New England Council has established the benchmarks for defining the economic importance of the creative economy sector. Mt. Auburn has developed quantitative and qualitative methods for measuring the economic significance of the creative economy sector, as well as developing workforce and economic development strategies to further linkages with traditional economic sectors. The goals of the Berkshire Creative Economy Project were to: • • • • •

elevate the status of the creative economy sector as an economic engine within the Berkshire County economy; integrate the leadership of the creative and cultural communities into the economic and business leadership base within the Berkshires; increase awareness and develop a better understanding of the creative economy sector’s role among Berkshire County residents; generate greater awareness of the economic value of the Berkshires’ creative economy sector among Boston-based and other state legislators; and develop a strategic plan with at least a 10-year lifespan.

In developing its strategic plan and report, Mt. Auburn employed a combination of methods. These included: quantitative data collection and analysis; focus groups with all relevant stakeholders and constituencies in the Berkshires; interviews with artists, leaders of arts organizations, owners of arts-related businesses, state legislators, business and economic development executives, and leaders in the education and workforce system; and research on the creative economy investments and competitive strengths of other states and regions. One of the key tools was organizing a broad-based Creative Economy Steering Committee, which met on a regular basis to review and comment on the ongoing work

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and to endorse the final recommendations. In August, following discussion and deliberations by the steering committee on preliminary findings, the dialogue was captured and shared in an e-broadcast sent to more than 4,000 recipients, both in the Berkshires and around the state. The members of the Creative Economy Steering Committee are: Michael Conforti, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Vice-Chair, Creative Economy, BEDC Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell Museum, Co-Chair Ellen Spear, Hancock Shaker Village, Co-Chair David Bissaillon, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Ethan Berg, Lenox Athenaeum David Crane, Excelsior Printing Don Dubendorf, Grinnell, Dubendorf & Smith, LLP Peter Dudek, Storefront Artists Project Nancy Fitzpatrick, Red Lion Inn Michelle Gillette, poet, author, and educator Mary Grant, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Erik Hoffner, Orion Magazine Lola Jaffe, Mahaiwe Theatre Board Chair Mark Jones, Shakespeare & Co. Sam Kasten, handweaver Jeffrey Kleiser, Synthespian Studios Maggie Mailer, Storefront Artists Project Patti Sienna, Sienna Gallery Suzanne Salinetti, The Studley Press, Inc. Annie Selke, Pine Cone Hill Stephen Sheppard, Williams College Eugenie Sills, The Women's Times Kevin Sprague, Kevin Sprague Photography Joe Thompson, MASS MoCA Kelley Vickery, Berkshire International Film Festival Larry Wallach, Simon's Rock College Megan Whilden, Pittsfield Cultural Development Office B. Carter White, Berkshire Theatre Festival Bill Wilson, Berkshire Visitors Bureau Tracy Wilson, Berkshire Music School Sandra Zink, Interprint, Inc. Michael Zivyak, Berkshire Living Magazine State Rep. Daniel Bosley, MA House of Representatives, ex-officio State Rep. Denis Guyer, MA House of Representatives, ex-officio State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, MA House of Representatives, ex-officio

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State Rep. Christopher Speranzo, MA House of Representatives, ex-officio State Senator Andrea Nuciforo, MA State Senate, ex-officio Congressman John Olver, U.S. House of Representatives, ex-officio Rhonda Serre, Congressman John Olver’s office, ex-officio Bill Ennen, John Adams Innovation Institute, ex-officio Mt. Auburn Associates Michael Kane, Mt. Auburn Associates Beth Siegel, Mt. Auburn Associates Devon Winey, Mt. Auburn Associates Berkshire Economic Development Corporation Staff Tyler Fairbank, BEDC Michael Supranowicz, BEDC Stephanie French, BEDC Beth Larrow, BEDC

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DEFINING THE CREATIVE ECONOMY OF THE BERKSHIRES Defining the segments of the creative economy

The relationship of creativity, heritage, and landscape THE BERKSHIRES as a county—and as a region—stretches from the northwestern tip to the southwestern corner of Massachusetts, traversing the length of the Commonwealth’s north-south boundaries. Yet its economic footprint spills over the state borders into southern Vermont, northwestern Connecticut, and Columbia County in New York State. The region is often united in name only, as residents and businesses prefer to see themselves as belonging to smaller spheres of influence. Great Barrington in the south, Pittsfield in the center, and North Adams in the north tend to be viewed by residents in a manner similar to separate city-states in ancient Greece. The region’s only major highway, The Massachusetts Turnpike, runs east-west, connecting the Berkshires to Boston and Albany. What does unite the Berkshires is a shared New England heritage of industrious small town life and a worshipful appreciation of its mosaic landscape of great natural beauty. These qualities have proven very attractive to each new generation of artists, artisans, and cultural entrepreneurs. The first village improvement society in America, the Laurel Hill Association of Stockbridge, was established in 1853. It articulates a vision of art and nature entwined: “We mean to work till every street shall be graded, every sidewalk shaded … every nook and corner beautified – in short, till Art combined with Nature shall have rendered our town the most beautiful and attractive spot in our ancient commonwealth.” (Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment, 2002.) The Berkshires has always nurtured a distinctive voice, a vision, and a personal vital force in its economic and artistic activities. This was true for the Shakers, whose heritage is celebrated at Hancock Shaker Village; it was true for the transcendentalists, Luminists, and landscape painters of the 19th century. It remained true for the architects of the cottages, mansions, and gardens of the Gilded Age, and for Norman Rockwell as he created his quintessential American portraits. It was present in the explorations of dancers’ movements at Jacob’s Pillow, and within the intricate design and engineering expertise at Crane Paper and at Interprint.

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Today, across all segments of the creative economy sector, that tradition of “personal vital force”—the relationship of creativity, heritage, and landscape—is present in a new generation of artists and cultural entrepreneurs who are reshaping the economic landscape of the Berkshires. The key segments of the creative economy in Berkshire County today include: Media/New Media, Commercial Arts, Design, Heritage and Conservation, Performing Arts, Visual Arts & Crafts, and Literary (it is important to note here that manufacturing is a component of several of the creative economy segments -- this is especially true for Commercial Arts and Design, and also for some elements in craft production). The support system includes business services, education, government, and networks. What follows is a brief overview of each segment, with descriptive examples.

Creative Sector in Berkshire County Key Segments Media/New Media

•Film & Video • Animation and web design •Sound Studios •TV and Radio

Commercial Arts •Graphic Design •Advertising • Printing

Heritage & Conservation

Design

•Architecture, Landscape Architecture •Interior Design and Home Furnishing •Gardens •Product Design

•Museums • Historic Sites •Restoration •Preservation

Performing Arts •Dance • Theater •Music

Literary

Visual Arts & Crafts Painting, Sculpture, Photography and Crafts Galleries, Art Museums

•Books • Newspapers •Periodicals •Libraries

Support System Business Services • Education • Government • Networks

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Design

The built environment and lifestyle products ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, INTERIOR DESIGN AND HOME FURNISHINGS, GARDENS, PRODUCT DESIGN THE BERKSHIRES ATTRACTS a large number of second-home owners from metropolitan areas and, with it, a significant demand for home and garden products. This market stretches across the state borders into Vermont, New York State, and Connecticut. As a result, lifestyle-related products and services have emerged as a very significant part of the creative economy in the Berkshires. PETER FASANO, DESIGN The concentration of second-home owners has, in turn, created a burgeoning network of commercial enterprises involved in architecture, interior design, cabinet making, architectural woodwork, and home furnishings. Mt. Auburn estimates that there are about 30 architectural firms and about 25 interior design companies operating in the region. While many of these firms serve the local market, a number also provide design services outside of the region to a national market.

ACCORDING TO THE BOSTON GLOBE, Peter Fasano is one the eight top-shelf designers working in New England. His celebrity clients have included Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, Tiger Woods – and First Lady Laura Bush. (Boston Globe, December 7, 2006.) Fasano attended the Parsons School of Design in New York City, and discovered he had a talent for painting repeated patterns and translating them into silk-screened fabric and wallpaper. He moved to the Berkshires in 1990 where he designs fabrics for upholstery and wallpaper, then prints them out in his 7,200square-foot shop in Great Barrington. About 25-30 percent of his work is custom print. The rest is chosen from designs that customers see in magazines, books, and older designs he has in his portfolio. He sells his products in design centers throughout the United States, and in numerous showrooms that represent him. He keeps very little inventory – almost everything is produced for orders.

Horticulture and gardens historically play a very important role in the Fasano employs 15-18 workers. The wages are competitive, and region’s culture and lifestyle, and also none of his employees have special degrees in design. “I train provide a “growing” opportunity for them all.” The employees “are a mix of locals and transplants— once people come to work, they tend to stay a long time.” One the design segment of the creative employee has been with him for 16 years, another 14, and several economy in the Berkshires. As noted for 12-13 years. by the Berkshire Botanical Gardens, “In the Berkshires, horticulture is the other culture.” There are about 20 landscape firms operating in the Berkshires. One such company, the Lenox-based Cut It Out, creates sculptural house and garden trellises, planters, and arbors. There are also numerous businesses involved in garden supplies, landscaping, masonry, and stone work.

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Tom Steir, the owner of Monterey Masonry, a landscape design and stonework company located in Sheffield, said, “Before I was a mason I was an artist.” He described his profession as encompassing “visual artist, craftsman, mason, sculptor, poet and artisan,” involving new genres and mixed media. Steir sees that his work will “overflow one category and spill into another.” Finally, the Berkshires is becoming home to a new generation of product designers who are creating and exporting innovative, highly designed products for the global marketplace. This trend parallels the emergence of product design as an important generator of economic value. According to a recent Business Week special edition on design, “When people talked about innovation in the 90s they invariably meant technology. When people speak of innovation today, it is more likely to mean design. Consumers, who are choking on choice, look at design as the new differentiator.” Cultural entrepreneurs in the Berkshires such as Annie Selke have developed successful lifestyle-related companies that are using design to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. In 1993, Annie Selke founded Pine Cone Hill, a wholesaler of home goods with a distinctive design that are sold in major home catalogues and in more than 2,000 specialty stores throughout the United States. Selke has expanded her business to include ceramics and rugs. In 2001, she purchased Potluck Studios, a ceramics firm making high-end pots and dinnerware. Today, the creative design is done in the Berkshires, and production is in China. Pine Cone Hill is just one of a number of entrepreneurial companies located in the Berkshires that found commercial success in the quality of their product design. Other companies include: • • •

Sam Kasten, producer of high quality hand-made custom textiles for the interior design and architectural trades. L’Unique Optique, an eyewear design studio that recently moved from Soho in New York City to Great Barrington Crispina/Fuschia, a home products design studio that produces rugs and other cloth objects that it sells internationally, as well as in its own retail store in Lenox

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Media/New Media

The Intersection of Arts and Technology FILMS AND VIDEO, ANIMATION AND WEB DESIGN, SOUND STUDIOS, TV AND RADIO WHAT DO Back to the Future, Silent Running, Blade Runner, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Judge Dredd, Mortal Kombat, and X-Men all have in common? They benefited from the special effects and animation talent that migrated to the Berkshires during the 1990s. When Doug Trumbull, a filmmaker (the director of Silent Running) and visual effects pioneer, moved to the Berkshires and started his company, Mass Illusions, some of the most talented individuals in the field followed. This talent included: Tom Gasek (most recently involved in Chicken Run), Joel Heynek, (winner of an Academy Award for special effects for Where Dreams May Come), John Gaeta (winner of an Academy Award for special effects for The Matrix), John Nugent (special effects for Lord of the Rings), Eric Wilson (digital supervisor Slither), and Jeff Kleiser (visual effects for Mortal Kombat, and X-Men). At one point in the late 1990s, with the development of a number of spin-off companies, there was the hope of the major new media cluster emerging in the Berkshires. However, distance from the west coast and changes in technology have led many of those involved new media to leave the region. While the promise of this emerging cluster has not yet been realized, some of this talent does still remain in the Berkshires and continues to work at the intersection of art and technology. Companies such as OOH Animation, Sandbox Pictures, and Powder Keg continue to produce work for commercials, feature films, theme park rides, and computer gaming. Some of the history of this talent in the Berkshires is captured in Animagic, a museum in Lee started by Eugene Mamut and his wife Irina Borisova, who both moved from New York City to be part of the new Berkshires special effects cluster. Their museum is devoted to animation, visual effects, and art. One of the more interesting spin-offs from this talent is no longer working in the entertainment field, but in the medical training arena. Eric and Lisa Chamberlain use their talents garnered in the special effects industry to create custom models for the medical industry. Their company, the Chamberlain Group, headquartered in the Berkshires, builds on the creativity and design required in the special effects industry to produce anatomically accurate medical models that capture the consistency and response of living tissue. This entrepreneurial company represents the potential of combining 12

creativity and technology, as they note: innovation to medical education.”

“We blend art and technology to bring

Beyond this specialized niche in the special effects and animation industries, the Berkshires is the home to a number of small firms involved in digital graphics, sound recording, and e commerce. In addition, the growth of MASS MoCA in North Adams has provided a platform for new media explorations into artistic creation. The establishment of a new startup company, WorkshopLive, is another example of how arts and technology come together to create economic value in the Berkshires. The company, headquartered in Pittsfield, provides live music education on the Internet. Finally, in the public school system, a cutting-edge educational initiative has promise and potential to help to develop a new generation of local talent to work in the new media sector. The Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative has provided more than 2,000 middleschool teachers and students in Pittsfield and North Adams with wireless laptop computers to use in the classroom. The computers include software that enables students to produce and edit their own media productions.

Literary Arts

The written word BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS, PERIODICALS, LIBRARIES WRITERS HAVE LONG been attracted to the serene landscapes and lifestyle of the Berkshires. From Herman Melville, Edith Wharton, and Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 19th Century to novelists Andrea Barrett and humorist Roy Blount, Jr. today, the region has been home to an informal network of writers. This network is supported by several independent bookstores that serve as a venue and support system for these writers as well as such organizations as the Berkshire Writers Room and Inkberry. The region’s higher education institutions and public libraries also contribute to this segment through their writing programs and lectures series. With this wealth of talent, the literary arts is a strong, but under-valued, segment of the creative economy in the Berkshires. The Berkshires is also home to a strong and growing publishing industry. The region’s newspaper, The Berkshire Eagle, is a large employer, as well as a source of income for many of the region’s freelance writers.

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Recent startups in the region include: Upstreet, a new national literary magazine, and Berkshire Living, started by Michael Zivyak, which has already won national awards for excellence after its first year in business. Other publishers in the region include Laurin Publishing, producers of magazines and directories for the photonics industry; the Berkshire Publishing Group; J.F. Griffin Publishing, producers of hunting and fishing publications; Cottage Press, a small house publisher of books related to the Berkshires; and The North River Press. The only publishing company of significant size is Storey Publishing. (See sidebar.) Other independent publications include Orion Magazine, a magazine published by the nonprofit Orion Society, and the Women’s Times.

STOREY PUBLISHING Storey Publishing produces a variety of “how to” books, all centered around a country living lifestyle. Each year Storey publishes about 40 new titles, but it also has more than 400 titles in print, many of which are reprinted annually. About 20 of the authors who write many of the books live in a 200-mile radius of North Adams. More of the authors used to be local when Storey was a fledgling business, and it relied on networks of friends and acquaintances. Now, writers seek them out to pitch their ideas. The company moved from a converted barn in Williamstown to MASSMoCA to have access to a creative environment. It gave the company an air of modernity and progress “that we are moving forward.” This will be Storey’s 7th year in the space. The company has 48 employees, including nine editors, seven designers, and an art director; six people in manufacturing production preprocess; three people in the office; an HR director; two in marketing, eight in sales, and two in PR. The company has no problem finding editorial talent. According to one senior manager, “The area attracts book people.” Storey recently hired a book marketer who had just moved to Williamstown from New York City where he had done extensive book marketing. Storey says that it is able to find most business/office functions locally, including purchasing, managing reprints, administration, and finance. The company also hired a managing editor locally.

Visual Arts and Crafts

Art for Art’s Sake PAINTING, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, CRAFTS, ART GALLERIES, MUSEUMS INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS and craftspeople form the foundation of the creative economy of the Berkshires. They make the Berkshires one of the nation’s leading regions in the visual arts, and make a significant contribution to the identity and strength of the creative economy sector in the Berkshires.

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The Berkshires has always been the home to world-renowned painters and sculptors. The legacy of some of the earlier generations of Berkshire artists is found in the Norman Rockwell Museum, and the sculpture of Daniel Chester French at his home, Chesterwood. Also of note are the more modern works of abstract painters, George LK Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen, whose home and studios remain open to the public. Today, the real arts story in the Berkshires is the influx of young artists from around the nation who are migrating to the region. This started with the influx of new, edgy artists coming to North Adams and moving into its new artists’ live-work space. Today, North Adams has numerous old mills filled with artists, and it supports organizations such as the Contemporary Artists Center founded by Eric Rudd. Pittsfield is following as a desirable location for artists. Through the leadership of artist Maggie Mailer, the Storefront Artists Project has provided artists with low-cost or free studio space. As a result, during the past few years, the communities of North Adams and Pittsfield have created a buzz and are attracting dozens of creative artists and craftspeople looking for affordable space and an environment that is hospitable to the arts community.

DANNY O, DANIEL CURTIN O’CONNOR BROKEN RECORD ART GROUP DANNY O is a portrait illustrator, as well as T-shirt, greeting card, and logo designer. His images are sold far and wide at places like Wal-Mart, Target, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Colleges license his images for posters or brochures, and he sells originals through his web site, galleries, and brokers. His work also graces the walls of the Brookline eatery, Zaftig’s. Danny O moved to North Adams in 2001, after a three-week artist-in-residence program at the Contemporary Artists Center where he created a series of art images of North Adams. Some of those images have hung in empty storefronts, as part of an urban beautification program in North Adams. Much of the artist’s revenue comes from royalties from posters. After some research on the art market, Danny realized “all the money is in licensing.” Any product that has an image pays a royalty every time that product is sold. He is comfortable with this choice as an artist. “It was like figuring out a game. There is a strategy to making money as an artist. I just figured out a strategy.”

Making a living for many of these artists remains a challenge. A substantial number of artists find employment opportunities in the “wellness” lifestyle segment of the creative economy, e.g., at the yoga retreat, the Kripalu Institute, and alternative therapies, etc. Others work in real estate or teaching, with the income from non-creative economy enterprises allowing many artists to continue to pursue their artwork.

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There are also a number of successful galleries and studios that dot the Berkshires landscape, from painters to glassblowers and potters. These galleries provide a means to showcase the work of local artisans. This, too, is an area of growth and often an undercounted component of the region’s economy. While U.S. official employment data report a total of four art dealers in Berkshire County, our database has information on more than 70 art galleries and craft studios throughout Berkshire County. While galleries are the commercial venue for showing art, museums are the nonprofit institutional venue. For a small rural region, the Berkshires has one of the richest and most diverse collections of art in the world. Few communities the size of the Berkshires can boast of four major art museums, as well as one of the largest art libraries in the world. With the Rockwell, the Clark, the Williams College Museum of Art, the Berkshire Museum, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the Berkshires is a mecca in the exhibition of art.

Performing Arts

All the Berkshires is a stage DANCE, THEATER, MUSIC

Tens of thousands of cultural tourists are attracted each year to the superb, world-class performing arts venues in the Berkshires. These include: Berkshire Theater Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, Barrington Stage, Shakespeare & Company, Tanglewood, and the Williamstown Theater Festival. This already significant cluster has been added to with new venues such as the recently renovated Colonial Theater in Pittsfield and the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. These are just the major players in performing arts. The region has more than 100 additional organizations and businesses involved in choral music (including the Berkshire Children’s Chorus and Berkshire Choral Festival), classical music (including the Aston Magna Foundation, the Berkshire Bach Society, South Berkshire Concerts, and the Albany Symphony Orchestra), smaller theater companies (such as the Berkshire Fringe and Bazaar Productions, and Town Players of Pittsfield), and more contemporary music (including the indie band, “The Books,” as well as the music venue Club Helsinki.). All of these performance activities have also generated a strong educational economic component as part of this segment. Many of the performing arts institutions provide professional training for talent in theatre and music and in the business of stage production.

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Commercial Arts

Looking good in the neighborhood GRAPHIC DESIGN, ADVERTISING, PRINTING

In the creative economy there is an increasing blurring of the lines between the commercial and nonprofit sectors. Few visual artists, photographers, or writers are able to earn their livings through their non-commercial art. Many work in the commercial sector as graphic designers, in the advertising industry, creating websites, or working for commercial printers. The commercial arts segment is one segment of the Berkshire Creative Economy that is relatively weak. While there are some growing entrepreneurial companies, such as Boxcar Media, most of the businesses in this segment involve very small advertising and marketing firms (about 15 in the region) and individual graphic artists and photographers working on a contract basis. There is one element of this segment, however, that does provide significant employment opportunities in the region. That is the printing industry. The region is home to about 20 printers, a few of which are very significant players in the creative economy. (See Finding in following chapter.)

Heritage and Conservation

Preserving art’s legacy MUSEUMS, HISTORIC SITES, HERITAGE, ART AND ARCHITECTURAL RESTORATION, PRESERVATION

Beyond its art museums and performing arts organizations, the Berkshires has many institutions that celebrate the region’s history. Its largest, Hancock Shaker Village, is an outdoor history museum of Shaker life situated on 1,200 acres, with 20 original buildings and historic working farm and gardens preserve. Beyond Hancock Shaker Village, there are another 15 historic sites and houses in the Berkshires. The Heritage and Conservation segment of the creative sector in the Berkshires is largely nonprofit, though there are some examples of commercial activities tied to restoration. The stylistic architecture of the Gilded Age cottages and mansions has created the need for specialized restoration resources within the region. The work of stained glass experts, such as Diane Rousseau, building on the legacy of the Cummings Company, provides the region with world-class conservation and restoration skills. Rousseau has worked on glasswork for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum dating from the 16th and 17th

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centuries. The Williamstown Art Conservation Center, with about 18 employees, is a world-class center of art restoration. The region’s many historical societies provide the support infrastructure of this segment of the economy, which is a core asset of the county’s hospitality industry.

DIANE ROUSSEAU, CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION Diane Rousseau operates a one-woman conservation and restoration business from a modestly-sized studio space in MASS MoCA. Her specialty is stained glass and art restoration. She is one of only a handful of people in the country at the high end of the field, who combine years of experience with formal education in restoration. Some of her experience is rooted in a restoration apprenticeship she had in England, and some based in a graduate program in Stained Glass Studies at the Vauxhall College of Applied Arts. She also studied at the Botti Studio of Architectural Arts in Chicago. In 1993, she joined Cummings Stained Glass Studios in North Adams, at one time one of the most recognized restoration companies in the country, to sharpen her skills. While working with Cummings, she helped to restore domes on state houses and universities, she worked on projects at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, and on a variety of projects for Neiman Marcus. Diane has done work for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, restoring Italian windows from the 16th and 17th centuries. She also worked on a project for the Hyde Collection, restoring a two-by-twofoot window from about the 13th century. When Cummings, the founder of the firm, recently retired and decided to close the business, Rousseau went into business for herself.

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MEASURING THE VALUE OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY OF THE BERKSHIRES Measuring Its Value

The economic importance of the creative economy in the Berkshires FINDING:

THE

CREATIVE ECONOMY SECTOR GENERATES JOBS AND INCOME FOR MANY BERKSHIRE COUNTY RESIDENTS

Î THE CREATIVE CLUSTER is one of the most important economic engines in the Berkshire County economy, providing more than 6,000 jobs.

Traditional economic data do not capture the economic importance of the creative cluster to the Berkshire County economy. Many not-for-profit enterprises are embedded in other clusters, and the employment numbers are not counted. For instance, historic buildings are listed under “conservancy,” the Williams College Museum of Art is listed under “education,” and libraries are considered part of “local government.” County Business Patterns (one of Mt. Auburn Associates’ data sources) often uses data based on an employment survey taken on March 12th, which does not capture seasonal employment. Further, many activities are classified in manufacturing and warehousing but, in fact, are creative products manufacturers. In addition, many activities classified in “retail” are art studios and galleries. Perhaps most egregious, individual artists and performers are not captured at all! To compile an accurate measurement of jobs generated by the creative economy sector, Mt. Auburn Associates employed a synthesis of numerous data sources using specific analytical tools. This analysis of employment data found more than 6,100 jobs generated by the creative economy sector in Berkshire County.

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Î THE CREATIVE CLUSTER provides a range of job opportunities for Berkshire County residents.

Contrary to what seems to be a common perception within Berkshire County, there are many well-paying jobs across a good cross-section of the creative economy sector. Many of these jobs have been, and continue to be, filled by local residents. Cultural and artistic enterprises such as Berkshire Living, Shakespeare & Company, the museums, Blue Q, Sheffield Pottery, Art Works, Kasten Weaving, and a number of the landscaping and small contracting companies are sources of wellpaying local employment. Berkshire Production Resources (BPR), a production-related employment firm founded in 1998, offers a good picture of other kinds of jobs in the county’s creative economy. BPR organizes a network of 25-30 people for jobs in stage lighting, rigging, scenic construction, special effects, and technical theater management, and then places them with performing arts institutions in the Berkshires. The jobs used to be seasonal in nature, but they are now increasingly year-round. Wage rates for these jobs range from $17.50 an hour to $30.00 an hour.

Blue Q THE OWNERS OF BLUE Q, THE NASH BROTHERS, are Pittsfield natives who got their start in the design business in Boston in 1988. They moved to Pittsfield in 1994. Through Blue Q, they’ve developed very design-oriented products for specialty retailers including chewing gum, bath and beauty products, car freshener, and apparel. They sell to large retailers, such as Tower Records and Borders, as well as Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s. Overall, the company market more than 400 items. What sets Blue Q apart is a combination of design and a sense of humor – its product lines have names such as “Boss Lady,” “Plain & Thimble,” “Cat Butt,” “Get Real,” “Dirty Girl,” and “Wash Away Your Sins.” The graphics are equally funky and edgy. The designers that Blue Q has working on its product design are spread all over the country. According to Seth Nash, there isn’t too much competition in their market niche, “because the ingredients are very, very high quality, and the graphics are radically different than most graphics of similar products.” Blue Q now has about 50 employees – 14 people in the office, and another 35 working in warehouse and distribution, where much of the final assembling and packaging is done. Turnover at Blue Q is extremely low, Nash said, because “It's fundamentally a young group, everybody's involved in decisionmaking, and when we're making and designing a new product, everybody gets input.”

A broader look at the wage rates in some of the creative occupations provides further evidence that, contrary to common assumptions, there are many quality jobs in the creative economy.

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WAGES FOR EMPLOYEES IN COVERED FIRMS BERKSHIRE COUNTY, 2005 Median Hourly Wage

Occupation Title Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $36.05 Architectural and Civil Drafters $19.40 Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Archivists $19.77 Curators $19.24 Museum Technicians and Conservators $21.21 Librarians $22.30 Library Technicians $10.87 Art Directors $23.65 Multi-Media Artists and Animators $27.50 Commercial and Industrial Designers $20.30 Floral Designers $10.87 Graphic Designers $15.72 Interior Designers $19.64 Editors $22.63 Writers and Authors $20.79 Broadcast Technicians $17.12 Photographers $31.00 Source: Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development

Median Annual Wage

Mean Hourly Wage

Mean Annual Wages

$74,982 $40,345 $56,395 $41,125 $40,020 $44,113 $46,386 $22,604 $49,188 $57,199 $42,231 $22,604 $32,708 $40,858 $47,069 $43,238 $35,601 $64,486

$38.70 $20.42

$80,502 $42,480 $57,089 $40,564 $40,132 $44,540 $45,156 $23,436 $59,265 $59,728 $43,596 $23,678 $35,116 $40,049 $45,998 $52,459 $35,443 $57,417

$19.50 $19.29 $21.41 $21.71 $11.27 $28.49 $28.72 $20.96 $11.38 $16.88 $19.25 $22.11 $25.22 $17.04 $27.60

Î SELF-EMPLOYED ARTISTS, musicians, writers, and other creative occupations are a key element of the creative cluster and the number of self-employed is growing rapidly in the region.

The Berkshires has a relatively high level of individuals who earn all or part of their livelihood through self-employment in the creative sectors. In 2004, there were a total of 1,134 individuals who were classified as sole-proprietorships, in other words, owning a business in which they were the sole employee. About half, 572, were independent writers, artists, and performers. However, there was also a relatively large proportion of self-employed architects, landscape architects, publishers (print and internet), sound studios, and design services. The growth of this component of the creative economy has been very dramatic. Between 1997 and 2004, the rate of increase in the number of self employed “creatives” outpaced the total number of self-employed—and the growth in wage and salary employment as well. In actual figures, the number of independent artists, writers, and performers in the Berkshires has grown from 432 in 1997 to 620 in 2004. In all likelihood, this trend has continued or accelerated since 2004, with further in migration of artists to North Adams and Pittsfield

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Percentage Growth in the Number of Non Employer Enterprises in Berkshire County 150%

TOTAL NON EMPLOYER ENTERPRISES

140%

130%

TOTAL CORE CREATIVE

120%

110% INDEPENDENT ARTISTS, WRITERS, PERFORMERS

100%

90% 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Î COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES that produce or distribute creative goods and services are an important, and often overlooked, component of the creative cluster.

For example, there are a number of small but vibrant music studios in the region—Derek Studios in Dalton and Off the Beat N Track in New Marlboro. Muddy Angel Music in Richmond specializes in spiritual music and the spoken word. Another commercial enterprise is Karen Allen-Fiber Arts Studio, owned by actress Karen Allen. Allen first came to the Berkshires through her theater work with Berkshire Theater Festival, Williamstown Theater Festival, and Shakespeare & Company. She decided to move full-time to the region. With a degree from FIT, and a lifelong interest in knitting, she, working with partner Sara Parrilli, has developed a line of knitted jackets, sweaters, scarves, and hats. She has opened a store in Great Barrington selling these products. In addition, she exports and sells the products in stores throughout the U.S.

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FINDING: CREATIVE ENTERPRISES IN THE BERKSHIRES ARE AN EXPORT-DRIVEN INDUSTRY; THEY SELL THEIR PRODUCTS TO CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT

THE THREE PRIMARY MARKETS for creative enterprises in the Berkshires are selling to consumers visiting Berkshire County, selling to consumers outside of Berkshire County, and selling to businesses and nonprofit institutions, such as museums.

Many, if not most, of the individual artists, writers, and performers who live in the Berkshires make much of their living through selling their work outside of the Berkshires. Export markets include galleries and stores in New York City and elsewhere, Internet sales, commissioned works, touring, etc. Traditional views that cultural institutions primarily depend on local audiences, and are thereby not critical economic engines in a community, need to change. Cultural institutions in the Berkshires’ creative economy sector also export products and import

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capital. While they receive much of their revenue from visitors, they are not solely “tourist attractions.” The region’s nonprofit cultural institutions sell their goods and services outside of the Berkshires. Traveling shows curated by the Rockwell or the Clark bring income into the institutions, and the region. Other export-related activities include the extensive training programs and publications that Shakespeare & Company “sells” in cities throughout the U.S. and to corporate clients. This is likely to emerge as a more important element of the nonprofit revenue stream. The world-class art museums in the region—including The Clark, Norman Rockwell, and MASS MoCA—have the potential to expand their audiences through the development of online curriculum aimed at a worldwide audience. Further, the ongoing efforts to digitize the art collections for web display promise to reap additional economic benefits.

Pictured above: Joe and Marie Cowen, Founders of Sheffield Pottery/American Made Pottery as shown in Redbook Magazine circa 1950

SHEFFIELD POTTERY: SERVING THE NATIONAL CERAMICS INDUSTRY THE ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY of a clay deposit on his farmland 60 ago years helped Joe Cowen launch Sheffield Pottery. Cowen and his wife started out as self-taught potters, but they also sold their clay—used for low-fire earthenware terracotta—at a roadside stand. Old Sturbridge Village was their first commercial clay account. Joe Cowen’s son took over the business in the 1980s and focused the business entirely on the commercial supply of clay, developing an expertise in the blending of clay to make superior clay bodies. Today, in addition to supplying clay that is produced on site, the company also sells potting equipment and supplies to their customers—everything from wheels, kilns, and glazes. The company is the largest supplier of clay in the Northeast and probably the third-largest in the country. About 90 percent of the business is in the sale of clay, raw materials, and equipment. The remaining 10 percent of the business is from the retail pottery business. Sheffield Pottery employs 29 people and is one of the largest employers in Sheffield. Employees come from neighboring Connecticut and New York in addition to the Berkshires. Occupations include drivers, clay production, kiln technicians, truck loaders, and production manager.

The higher educational institutions in the region play two important roles in supporting the creative economy in the Berkshires. One is in the establishment of academic disciplines that support the creative economy. The second is as ambassadors the region, consciously promoting the creating economy, its resources, and its value to prospective students, particularly from Eastern Massachusetts, who remain largely unaware of the cultural resources, talent, and activities in the region.

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Î SOME ENTERPRISES in the Berkshires’ creative economy sector sell directly to the national creative economy cluster, becoming vendors to the global creative industries.

A number of companies in the region provide goods and services that serve the national creative economy cluster. For example, Rising Arts Paper (part of Fox River Paper) makes specialty crafted paper for fine art museums around the country. Chicago Albumen Works, housed in a restored textile mill in Housatonic, also serves the national creative economy market. The company specializes in preservation and conservation of photographic images for museums, private collections, and a variety of cultural institutions throughout the country. Francis Morris, located in Great Barrington, sells to and repairs violins, violas, and cellos for musicians all over the United States and in Europe. In the special effects industry, LimeLight Production serves the entertainment industry nationwide. Also servicing a national market are Sheffield Pottery (clay and potter supplies), and Buxton Brook Looms, a company that provides products and services around the country. Î MANY OF THE PRODUCTS and services in the Berkshires creative economy sector focus on second-home owners.

The home and garden segment in the Berkshires has enormous growth potential, creating employment and enterprise opportunities for interior designers, landscape designers, architects, home furnishing, garden stores, nurseries, etc. FINDING: THE

REGION’S NONPROFIT CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ARE A CORE ELEMENT OF THE REGION’S CREATIVE CLUSTER; THEIR ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE EXTENDS BEYOND THEIR DIRECT EMPLOYMENT

Î THE BERKSHIRES has a number of world-class cultural institutions: • • • • • • • • • •

Mass MoCA Norman Rockwell Museum Tanglewood Music Center Jacob’s Pillow Williamstown Theater Festival Berkshire Theater Festival Berkshire Museum Hancock Shaker Village Williams College Museum of Art Barrington Stage Company

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•

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

These cultural institutions in the Berkshires are an important market for goods and services produced by businesses in the Berkshires. The major cultural institutions spend well over $55 million on the purchase of goods and services from other businesses (this total does not include the spending of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood). According to the Mt. Auburn survey of nonprofit cultural institutions in the region, approximately 72 percent of this amount, Federal Grants 2001-2006 or $40 million, is spent within Berkshire TOTALS County. This $40 million is spent on FEDERAL GRANTS payroll, marketing, graphic design and printing, and catering. Cultural Institution In addition, the nonprofits that responded to the survey reported that they plan on spending $41 million in new capital projects in the next three years. Î CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS bring financial resources into the region.

Donors from all over the nation and the world support the ongoing work of the world-class cultural institutions in the Berkshires. In addition, these institutions attract significant federal, state, and foundation grants to support their cultural endeavors. Their boards and funders are largely from outside of the Berkshires, bringing net new income into the region. For example, over the past five years, 26 different cultural institutions in the Berkshires have brought in a total of $8.2 million in federal grants to the region.

Hancock Shaker Village Berkshire Museum Norman Rockwell MASSMoCA MCLA Barrington Stage Company Clark Berkshire Theater Festival Jacob's Pillow Shakespeare and Co Williamstown Theater Festival Frelinghuysen Morris House BSO/Tanglewood Sheffield Historical Society Williams College Rev. Harrison House Museum Berkshire County Historical Society Chesterwood The Mount Mahaiwe Colonial Inkberry Stockbridge Library Association Ventroft Hall Lenox Library Association

$ 754,677 $ 318,000 $ 764,478 $ 168,000 $ 103,278 $ 25,000 $ 488,370 $ 4,486 $ 350,000 $ 433,245 $ 30,000 $ 6,370 $ 135,000 $ 16,370 $ 402,500 $ 246,322 $ 9,000 $ 445,508 $ 2,865,000 $ 250,000 $ 400,000 $ 10,000 $ 10,000 $ 10,000 $ 5,000 8,250,604

Î THE BERKSHIRES’ CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS are economic drivers of the hospitality industry.

The attraction of tens of thousands of visitors and tourists to cultural, theatrical, and musical events in the region provides a steady stream of customers for the Berkshires’ hospitality industry. During the peak summer season in the Berkshires, the “no vacancy” sign is a common sight up and down Route 7, the major north-south roadway. While people are attracted to the Berkshires for many reasons, the region’s “brand” in the tourism industry is closely associated with its reputation as a cultural destination. While 26

visitors may not always visit the cultural institutions, they come to the Berkshires, as overnight visitors or to buy second homes, because they know that the region provides the quality of cultural venues of a major city, but in a beautiful rural landscape. Few destinations in the country are able to offer this combination of assets.

FINDING: THE CREATIVE CLUSTER IS LINKED TO MANY OF THE IMPORTANT ECONOMIC SECTORS IN THE BERKSHIRES

The Berkshires’ creative economy sector has strong linkages to many of the core industry sectors in the region, forging a cross-sector foundation of the regional economy. Industry sectors that the creative cluster has a direct economic impact upon include: hospitality and tourism; agriculture and natural resource-related entrepreneurs and organizations; technology-based companies; and manufacturing.

The Creative Cluster is Linked to Most of the Region’s Key Economic Clusters Technology

Manufacturing

Media/New Media

Commercial Arts

Creative Cluster

Design

Life Style: Wellness & Home and Garden

Heritage & Conservation Performing Arts

Hospitality

Literary Arts Visual Arts & Crafts

& Tourism

Excelsior and Interprint are two prime examples of companies that combine elements of the creative economy with manufacturing. Both companies place a high premium on quality, use of technology, strong customer service, and the infusion of design into all of their products.

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Interprint moved into a 175,000-square-foot facility a few years ago on the outskirts of Pittsfield. Since its beginning on Pecks Road, the company has seen explosive growth, increasing its revenues, markets, and the number of employees. The company designs paper to make decorative laminates for flooring, cabinets, countertops, and other residential applications. Interprint employs more than 130 people who are part of the sales, marketing, and production systems. It also has eight people in the design department whose job it is to track new designs, meet with customers, attend national and international trade shows, and, in general, keep the design component of the company at the forefront. Excelsior Printing, which began operations in 1892, developed a specialty printing business, with a strong emphasis on engraving. The company was acquired by Crane & Co., for its engraving capability, and then was bought in 2005 by David Crane, a member of the Crane family. Excelsior employs 44 workers. Part of the workforce includes inhouse artists and designers. Although the focus of Excelsior is on custom work for the education, wedding, and birth announcement markets, the company also produces high-end posters for many of the county’s cultural institutions. The relationship of both companies with the cultural institutions continues to grow. The companies are talking about new products and designs with several of the nonprofit cultural institutions in Berkshire County.

FINDING: THE CREATIVE CLUSTER IN THE BERKSHIRES HAS STRONG LINKAGES TO NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK STATE, CONNECTICUT, AND VERMONT. THE BERKSHIRES AS A REGION is not perceived as being confined by state or county boundaries. Parts of Northwestern Connecticut and Columbia County in New York fully consider themselves to be part of the “Berkshires.” The second-home owners and visitors to Northwest Connecticut and parts of Columbia County see themselves as visiting or living in the Berkshires. They buy goods for local stores and, most importantly, they are important parts of the audience for many of the cultural venues in Berkshire County. Publications cross the state line, employees cross the state line, and markets cross the state line.

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CREATIVE ECONOMY OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES The Educational Infrastructure

A core creative economy asset in the Berkshires HIGHER EDUCATION THE FOUR HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS in Berkshire County will continue to be important sources for the origination of creative content, the distribution of content, and the development of artistic and creative economy skills. Through their facilities and venues, they also serve as destinations for creative economy commercial activities. Faculty (and their spouses) also serve as an important component of the region’s cultural resources. Following is only a brief overview of some of the colleges’ programs and cultural resources: ¾ Simon’s Rock College has emerged as a key institution in the creative economy.

The College has a broad arts-related program in the Arts and Aesthetics division— courses are offered in art, art history, dance, music, studio arts, and theater. The Daniel Arts Center is a centerpiece of the College’s art programs. It includes a 350-seat main stage theater, the 100-seat Patti Liebowitz Studio Theatre, the Beckerman Dance Studio, classroom facilities for all arts courses, as well as studios for sculpture, 3-D design, and staging. The Kellogg Music Center is a location for the College’s music programs and productions. In addition to faculty-based arts productions and performances (e.g., the Simon’s Rock Chorus and Chamber Orchestra), the College also brings in exhibits and concerts by nationally-know artists, writers, and photographers. Faculty are also active in organizations like the Berkshire Bach Society, Barrington Performing Arts, and the Berkshire Composers Concert Series. ¾ Williams College students, faculty, and facilities are all key elements of the Berkshire creative economy.

Williams College is one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the country, and its programs, resources, and leadership in the arts are profound, both in the art world in general, and in Berkshire County as well. Only a very brief overview of Williams’ role in the arts will be provided here. Undergraduate programs are offered in art (history and studio), theatre, and English (writing). The College has a Master of Arts degree program in history, a joint program between the College and the Clark. Courses and programs are also offered in dance. The College’s undergraduate programs draw on an extraordinary set of resources, many of

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which are either open to, or available to, the public. For example, in the Art Program, the College has the Visual Art Resource Center, a digital and online collection of films, videos, photographs, artwork, and books. The Music Program presents more than 100 concerts a year at one of several facilities—Chapin Hall, the Bernhard Music Center, and Thompson Hall Chapel. Students, faculty, and guest artists all perform in the concerts, which include the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, the Williams Chamber Choir, and the Jazz Ensemble. The Theatre Program is housed in the ’62 Center for Theater and Dance, a new facility with classroom space, rehearsal space, studios, and performance venues. Music and dance also make use of the facility, and it is the home of the Williamstown Theater Festival as well. The Master of Arts Program is a two-year program that brings in students from around the world. The Program makes use of the Clark, the Williams College Museum of Art, MASS MoCA, and the Chapin Library. The Chapin Library has more than 50,000 rare books and 40,000 manuscripts, including a display of the Founding Documents of the United States. The Williams College Museum of Art has more than 12,000 works that cover much of the history of art. The Museum’s strengths are “modern and contemporary art, photography, prints, and Indian painting.” It has one of the most noted collections of American Art from the 18th century to the present. Special exhibitions by staff, faculty, students, and guest curators are held at the Museum and, as noted elsewhere, the Museum is one of several partners on programs like Kidspace and the Berkshire Conference. Williams is also the home of the Center for Creative Community Development, a collaboration between the Department of Economics and MASS MoCA. The Center is involved nationally in research, education, and training on the role of arts in community development. The College has played a very important role in the development of MASS MoCA, and its involvement in arts education throughout the Berkshires has been extensive. Finally its graduate and strong network of alumni is a critical source of entrepreneurial energy and resources in the Berkshires. ¾ Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has played an increasingly active and strategic role in creative economy of the Berkshires.

The College’s activities are quite diverse. It just created a new undergraduate program in Arts Management, a complement to the other arts-related degree programs—English (writing, broadcast media, and film studies), and Fine and Performing Arts. MCLA also offers a Horticulture Certificate Program in cooperation with the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Music, theater, and dance performances are held throughout the year at both the Venable Hall and the Church Street Center. Gallery 51, a relatively new art space in North Adams, has become a focal point for some of the arts infrastructure in downtown North Adams. It is operated by MCLA and hosts exhibits and lectures by local and area artists. The Berkshire Hills Internship Program (BHIP) is another resource that MCLA

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brings to the creative economy. The program matches students who are interested in arts management with many of the major performing arts and cultural institutions in the county—the students get a hands-on apprenticeship in how arts institutions are run. MCLA also has initiated other programs like the Desk Project and launched the new Center for Robotic Arts, a collaboration between a College faculty member and a local sculptor. It also offers non-credit adult enrichment courses, such as the Horticulture Certificate Program in conjunction with the Berkshire Botanical Garden, aimed at professional and aspiring professional gardeners. Finally, MCLA has been an important source of support for projects like the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and artSTART. ¾ Berkshire Community College offers a wide range of programs and services in the arts.

It prepares art students for further academic study through its Fine Arts programs in music, theater, and visual arts. The Koussevitzky Arts Center houses the Boland Theater and the Koussevitzky Art Gallery, where the works of faculty and students are on display. The College offers workshops, seminars, and certificate courses in the arts, some through the Berkshire Institute for Lifetime Learning. Some arts faculty members are professional and accomplished in their own right—composers, writers, playwrights, actors, and painters. And, the College works with other entities in the creative economy, e.g., WorkshopLive, the Storefront Artists Project, the Berkshire Music School, and the Pittsfield Cultural Development Office, to name a few. Through the newly created and innovative Berkshire Compact, the educational institutions in the region are collaborating to provide all local high school students the opportunity to attend an institution of higher learning. This represents a major investment and commitment in the student population of the Berkshires. (Berkshire Compact for Higher Education, March 2006.)

K-12 SYSTEM STUDENTS IN THE REGION’S PUBLIC AND private schools have benefited from the rich arts and cultural environment in the Berkshires. Many of the schools have on their faculty instructors who are professional artists and musicians or have worked in professional theater and have moved to the Berkshires to pursue their creative careers. The schools also have benefited from the high quality and diverse offering of arts programming that the region’s cultural institutions have brought directly to students. There are also specialized schools such as the Berkshire Art & Technology Charter School, a middle and high school that integrates arts and technology in all of its core studies.

The Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative, which is providing wireless laptop computers to more than 2,000 middle-school students and teachers in North Adams and in Pittsfield, is changing the paradigm of learning in the Berkshires. The initiative is supported both by state investments and $1 million raised in donations from businesses in the region.

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In short, Berkshire students in K-12 have extraordinary access to high-quality arts and cultural education, state-of-the art computer learning, and technical training. In order to fully capitalize on these assets, the county will have to continue to invest in arts education at both the elementary and secondary school levels. It is through arts education where the next generation of county residents begins to understand the possibilities of creating cultural content and becomes aware of employment and career opportunities in arts and the creative sector. Classes in visual art, dance, music, theater, and art appreciation, for example, are essential to the long-term sustainability of the county’s creative sector and to the development of future artists and arts entrepreneurs.

SPECIALIZED CULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS SERVING MARKET

A

NATIONAL

In addition to the organized curriculum, there are numerous special programs, ones that attract people from both a regional and national market, that have been established in the Berkshires. Collectively, they are an extraordinary mix of programs in artistic skill development, cultural education, art appreciation, and academic enrichment in the arts. These programs include: • • • •

• •

Berkshire Choral Festival; an internationally renowned violin repair program at MCLA; the Clark’s Research and Academic Program, with scholars from around the world coming to Clark to study and complete research in the arts; specialized classes offered by local institutions, such as IS 183, Northern Berkshire Creative Arts, Tanglewood’s Days in the Arts, Berkshire Music School , Becket Arts Center, Housatonic Valley Art League, as well as many individual artists and musicians offering training and classes in their home; specialized instructional programs at cultural institutions like Hancock Shaker Village, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Rockwell; and exported learning products offered by Shakespeare & Company, WorkshopLive, and Piano Kids.

The Geography of the Creative Economy OPPORTUNITY: KNITTING TOGETHER THE CREATIVE SUB-REGIONS WITHIN BERKSHIRE COUNTY

IN LARGE MEASURE, today’s Berkshire Creative Economy had its start in parts of South County, Stockbridge, and Lenox. As noted above, throughout the early 1800s and throughout the Gilded Age of the mid-1800s, this part of the Berkshires became home to

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many of this country’s most noted writers and poets. During the same period, the region attracted John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, George Westinghouse, and other wealthy captains of industry who made South County their home. Their summer homes and mansions, known affectionately as “cottages,” laid the foundation for much of the horticulture and architecture that are so integral to the region’s cultural assets. And, by the time the Boston Symphony Orchestra held its first concerts in 1936-37 at Tanglewood, the region was well on its way to being a world-class cultural haven. Today, South County is literally dotted with art galleries, studios, museums, and old mills that have been converted into arts uses of varying kinds. South County remains a rich and vibrant part of the county’s creative economy. In North County, Williams College, the Williamstown Theater Festival, and the Clark have historically been the principal arts and culture institutions, giving that part of the Berkshires an international arts reputation. However, the Eclipse Mill, MCLA, several new art galleries, the Contemporary Arts Center, new media firms and entrepreneurs, and MASS MoCA have significantly embellished the region’s visibility. These institutions and new artists, but especially MASS MoCA, have given North County an edgier and hipper feel than other parts of the county. The attraction of a younger arts population is critical to the county’s cultural and artistic development At the geographical center of the Berkshires, Pittsfield is striving to emerge as an arts and culture destination of its own, knitting together the region as a countywide creative economy sector. The leadership of Mayor Ruberto, new and existing cultural venues, the affordability of housing and buildings, new municipal and cultural leadership, as well as the Storefront Artists Project, are all making much of this possible (one interviewee sees the Storefront Artists Project as the yeast for Pittsfield’s cultural bread). The strategic role that Pittsfield could play in developing stronger relationships between the subregions and enhancing the Berkshires’ creative sector is a pivotal opportunity for the region. Addressing both chronic and long-term transportation issues can play a supportive role in overcoming the inertia of sub-regions to see themselves in a larger framework.

OPPORTUNITY: EXPLOITING MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN SURROUNDING REGIONS

THE ECONOMIC FOOTPRINT of the Berkshires extends beyond the boundaries of county and state lines. In particular, the relationships with Columbia County in New York State and the Hudson River Valley communities (where there are many second homeowners) offer new markets and opportunities for artists and cultural entrepreneurs in the Berkshires.

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Relationships can also be strengthened with neighboring markets in the Albany region, the Pioneer Valley, Southern Vermont, and Northwestern Connecticut, as well as New York and Boston.

Creative Infrastructure: Facilities and Support Organizations OPPORTUNITY: NEW FACILITIES AND VENUES ARE STRENGTHENING THE BERKSHIRES CREATIVE CLUSTER

THE GROWING NUMBER of new and renovated facilities and arts venues in the Berkshires has the potential of turning the creative economy sector into a year-round economic driver. These include: the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, the renovated Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, the new Barrington Stage, the Williams College’s 62 Center, and expansion of the Norman Rockwell Museum. There are also plans to expand both the Clark and the Berkshire Museum. The Massachusetts Legislature’s newly created $13 million Cultural Facilities Fund promises to make an important difference in supporting these and other improvements to the region’s arts and cultural infrastructure.

OPPORTUNITY:

STRONG

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS ARE HELPING TO BUILD THE REGION’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

BERKSHIRE COUNTY HAS A STRONG NETWORK of organizations that are directed to supporting the work of artists, arts institutions, and arts entrepreneurs, and to making linkages between the artist and education communities. These organizations are found throughout the county, but they have more of a presence in North and Central County (many of the organizations in North County trace their lineage to MASS MoCA, Williams College, and MCLA). Following is a brief description of some of these organizations. In North County, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition runs an initiative called CommUNITY Arts, a writing, music, and performing arts program for teens. The Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, a collaboration of MCLA, MASS MoCA, and the city of North Adams, provides training, management, and marketing assistance to artists and arts entrepreneurs. The Center also oversees the artSTART website, a listserve that highlights and promotes the art work of individual artists, by segment, in Northern Berkshire County.

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Northern Berkshire Creative Arts (NBCA) is an organization that runs arts studio classes in visual arts, theater, dance, and music for students of all ages, toddlers to senior citizens. NBCA offers more than 20 programs throughout the year, many in partnership with other arts-related organizations in North County. The Contemporary Artists Center (CAC) is a nonprofit arts organization that was founded in 1990 by “working artists, for working artists.” The Independent Studio residency is one of the core programs that the CAC operates. It brings in artists to North Adams from around the country to deepen and broaden their artwork. The CAC also runs Gallery Exhibitions of eclectic art work from all over the world. There are numerous gallery events throughout the year—films, music, performance art, etc.—that helps give the CAC its “arts edginess.” Workshops on different kinds of art making are also held in the summer. In Central County, the Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development is a focal point for arts activities. It operates a website, Cultural Pittsfield, which provides a weekly snapshot of arts and cultural events in the city. It also runs art shows and exhibits at the Lichenstein Center for the Arts; it provides resources and support for the work of individual artists at the Center and in the downtown; it sponsors art classes and workshops; it coordinates arts-related development projects with the city’s Office of Community and Economic Development; and, it is in the process of preparing a Cultural Plan for the city. The Storefront Artists Project (SAP) was initiated in late 2003 and early 2004 to address the problem of storefront vacancies in downtown Pittsfield, and to provide working and exhibition space for local artists. Building on its success in this effort, the Project continues to be an important intermediary among artists, property owners, arts organizations, and the city. It also serves as an organizing vehicle for a wide range of arts-related projects throughout Central County. The Project works with more than 30 artists to help with exhibitions, gaining access to new markets, and connecting artists with the arts education programs in the region’s public schools. The Project, according to most observers, was a key catalyst in jumpstarting the revitalization of downtown Pittsfield. Beaux Arts is a project organized by a local artist. It organizes dinners, lectures, book signings, and other social events for artists and arts supporters in Central and South county. Beaux Arts gives artists and their supporters an opportunity to network and help enhance the arts infrastructure in the region. Finally, there are 21 Arts Councils in Berkshire County. The Councils, for the most part, are volunteer arts organizations that receive funding, principally though not exclusively, from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). They provide support for community arts events, arts in the schools programs, plays, music, dance, and theater performances by some of the county’s noted cultural institutions. The Councils also pay particular attention to making the arts accessible to diverse audiences. In Fiscal Year 2007, the Arts Councils in Berkshire County received a little more than $616,000 from MCC.

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Challenges Remain

You can’t eat the scenery In spite of all the opportunities noted above, the creative economy in the Berkshires does face a number of challenges. Following are some of the more important challenges. CHALLENGE:

THE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY HAS NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE CREATIVE SECTOR

THE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY is often viewed as “not getting it” with respect to the commercial breadth and depth of the creative economy sector, and its economic importance to the Berkshire economy. However, through the Berkshire Blueprint (and the Berkshire Creative Economy Project), there is a growing awareness of the potential of the creative economy sector, as well as renewed engagement with elected officials. CHALLENGE: SOME FRAGILITY WITH THE CULTURAL SECTOR REMAINS

AS STRONG AS THE MAJOR cultural institutions in the Berkshires are in attracting a steady stream of tourists and visitors, they are still very vulnerable to disruptions caused by severe weather, a steep rise in gasoline prices, disruption of airline travel, and competition from the Internet. An unanticipated drop in attendance often translates into deficits in the operating margins of these institutions, which, in turn, are felt all along the creative economy sector’s “food chain.”

CHALLENGE: COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITY IS NOT AS STRONG AS IT COULD BE

UNTIL THE BERKSHIRE CREATIVE ECONOMY PROJECT, there had not been a formal way to bring the movers and shakers of the creative economy sector in the Berkshires to the same table for discussion. There is sometimes still a “lack of comfort” in the collaborative process. The challenge for the community will be to maintain the dialogue and to find new avenues for cooperation and collaboration once the project has ended.

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CHALLENGE: MAKING A LIVING REMAINS A CHALLENGE FOR MANY ARTISTS

ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR OFTEN PROVIDES only minimal, secondary or supplemental income. Large numbers of artists and artisans depend on income and benefits from “real” jobs, such as teaching, work in real estate, construction, and “wellness.”

CHALLENGE: WANTED: INFLUX OF ARTISTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE

THE PROGRAMMING of many of the major cultural institutions is viewed by some as targeted to an older and wealthier demographic, and not toward low-income and working residents of the native population. Young, hip, single, and edgy artists and entrepreneurs are attracted more to North County, but not nearly enough is being done to cultivate, support, and attract this demographic to the Berkshires, and to make it a integral part of the creative economy sector.

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STRATEGIC INITIATIVES Creative Economy Vision The overarching goal of the creative economy sector in the Berkshires is to: Create economic opportunities for Berkshire residents, strengthen the competitiveness of existing enterprises, commercial and nonprofit, and create new jobs. Following are goals and recommendations in four key areas: Creative Marketplace, Creative Business, Creative Work, and Creative Collaborations. The recommendations include suggested steps for implementation

Creative Marketplace Initiative

Goals • •

To create new products that capitalize on the unique character of the Berkshire Creative Economy. To increase market access for existing creative products, particularly those of individual artists.

Recommendations ¾ Develop two new creative products, one in Artistic and Cultural Learning and one in the Literary Arts. 1. Package the wealth of Artistic and Cultural Learning that currently exists in the Berkshires—those offered, for example, through Shakespeare & Company, the Berkshire Choral Festival, the BSO, MCLA, the Berkshire Conference, Jacob’s Pillow, MCLA, the Berkshire Music School, etc., and develop a new “cultural product.” Organize the key institutions, and market and promote their programs as a new “cultural product” to the same extent that music, theater, dance, and museums are marketed and promoted. 2. Organize a Berkshire Writers’ Conference. The Berkshires is home to fiction and nonfiction writers, playwrights, writers’ programs, editors, writing groups, and independent publishers. A Berkshires Writers’ Conference would provide an opportunity for these literary assets to be appreciated, and the Berkshires would be an ideal location given the beauty of the physical environment and the richness of the cultural environment. The region’s higher education institutions, in conjunction with individuals in the Literary Arts, would be appropriate sponsors of the event. ¾ Organize a “Berkshire Marketplace” initiative—there are four components. 1. Publish, in electronic and print format, a Berkshire Creative Marketplace Directory of the work and products of local artists. Through the efforts of 38

artSTART, and the Storefront Artist Projects, and others, a good start has been made, but the directory should be countywide and include artists from all categories. The directory should provide easy-to-access contact information, a visual display of artists’ work, and pricing information. 2. Create an institutional relationship with the Berkshire County Board of Realtors. Realtors have indicated an interest in better promoting the work of artists to new homeowners and businesses that locate in the county. 3. Work with the Berkshire Visitors Bureau to promote and publicize the work of local artists. The Visitors Bureau has expressed support for the idea of getting local artwork in the lobbies and on the walls of some of the hospitality businesses in the County. 4. Organize a cooperative approach to getting Berkshire artwork into some of the high-end and national art shows. A cooperative effort, with some financial assistance, would make it possible for more artists to gain access to a wider market. CREATIVE MARKETPLACE: MODELS Campus Provincetown “Campus Provincetown is a set of educational programs offered year-round by almost a dozen, world-recognized Provincetown, Massachusetts, institutions in the arts, theater, and environment. Some of these programs are workshops, some are field studies, some are stage productions. In some cases college credit can earned. All of the programs are hands-on, and they are all for artists, scientists, teachers – certified or budding – and others who never want to stop learning.” An online catalogue provides information on the full range of course offerings at institutions in the region. Organizations involved include: Cape Cod Community College; Cape Cod Photo Workshops; Castle Hill; Center for Coastal Studies; Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown; Provincetown Art Association and Museum School; Provincetown Chamber of Commerce; Provincetown Film Festival; Provincetown Public School System; and Provincetown Theatre Company. Santa Fe Design Week Santa Fe Design Week, “a celebration of design as process, product, priority, and place” was first held in 2005. The second Design Week was held in October 2006. Santa Fe Design Week 2006 will spotlight the region’s finest and most innovative designers, materials, projects, ideas, and approaches and will also “stage events examining how to apply aspects of design to resolve environmental, social, and economic problems.” Also as part of Design Week, three delegates from each of the nine UNESCO Creative Cities will arrive in Santa Fe for a three-day Planning Summit to lay the groundwork for an International Summit on Creative Tourism to be held in Santa Fe in 2007 or 2008. According to the promotional material: “The City of Santa Fe, collaborating with the professional design community and local businesses, will employ Design Week as an illustration of how the design, fine arts and creative communities are an engine to promote Santa Fe's economic sustainability. Design Week will include events that consider and illustrate how an economy largely based on the creative endeavors of individual designers, artists, artisans and craftspeople can fuel economic development. A fashion show mounted by a recently-organized trade association of fashion designers, a competition among the State's craft furniture builders, and a national architectural competition mounted by American Institute of Architects are among some of the events.” City Showcase: London City Showcase is a not-for-profit company that works with musicians, performers, designers, artists, producers, directors, games developers, and talented people in all creative disciplines by providing networking opportunities, workshops, information, and showcasing opportunities. The Showcase was launched in 2003 and hosts an annual event called City Showcase – Spotlight London, an annual festival for new music and fashion attracting international audiences and buyers from the music and fashion industry. Style Week: Austin Tribeza Magazine in Austin has an annual event that focuses on fashion and products designed in the city. There is a designer showcase that gives local designers and merchandisers the opportunity to display their products at the City’s Design Center. The Magazine just completed its third annual showcase event. 39

Creative Business Initiative

Goals • •

To enhance the design segment of the Creative Economy, including the manufacture of products. To attract Creative Economy businesses to Berkshire County.

Recommendations ¾ Create a Berkshire Design Showcase Initiative. 1. Explore the potential for locating design-related artists and small firms in a single, multi-tenant space/facility. The facility would allow new and emerging designers to share the costs of space and, conceivably, services. Concentrating design activities in such a way could help grow this segment of the creative economy (on a much larger scale, the city of Portland, Oregon, helped its design and creative industries grow by offering space in an 80,000-square-foot building). 2. Organize and display, physically and online, the design products and services that currently are embedded in local artists, entrepreneurs, and firms in the Berkshires. An organized display would provide the opportunity for promoting and enhancing the visibility of this important segment of the creative economy. These markets would be particularly appropriate for second homeowners in the county as well as the New York and Boston markets. 3. Establish the Berkshire Design “Skunkworks,” a virtual team of designers who would come together and collectively address design problems or opportunities for homeowners, corporations, cultural institutions, and public sector institutions. This kind of collective and creative problem solving approach on design issues would bring new customers and clients to existing designers, and also raise the profile of Berkshire Design. ¾ Develop a “Design It Here, Make It Here” campaign. 1. Explore the interest in and capacity for manufacturers in the county to take on the production of “creative products.” Likely candidates would be those companies that manufacture plastics, metal, fabrics, and wood products, as well as those involved in printing. 2. Selectively target some of the arts and design publications in the New England and New York areas. Place ads in some of the publications to test the potential for product designers to manufacture their products in Berkshire County. 3. Develop profiles of existing manufacturers of creative products in Berkshire County, e.g., Interprint, Excelsior, Peter Fasano, Karen Allen, etc., and use the

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profiles to promote the advantages of manufacturing creative products in Berkshire County. The profiles should be targeted to publications in art, design, and manufacturing.

CREATIVE BUSINESS: MODELS DesignBox: Raleigh North Carolina The DesignBox is both a facility housing creative talent in a variety of design disciplines, as well as a “gathering” place for design professionals throughout the region. The concept is that by co-locating and working together each week to discuss each other’s projects, across disciplines, all the companies involved will benefit. The Facility also opens its doors as part of Raleigh’s Friday night Art Walk. 401 Richmond: Toronto 401 Richmond is a commercial property located in downtown Toronto, and is home to a thriving community of 130 cultural producers and micro-enterprises. A century-old tin factory has been restored to include a courtyard, arts-enriched early learning center, café, and roof garden. 401 Richmond is the recipient of a 1999 Award of Merit from Toronto Heritage for outstanding adaptive re-use of a historic building. Ideasmart: Glasgow, Scotland The National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts, the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen, and Scottish Enterprise have developed Ideasmart to provide financial and business support at the seed-investment level for entrepreneurs in the creative industries. The program provides seed financing, mentoring, and business assistance for high risk ventures in the creative industries. Creative Entrepreneurs Club, Scotland The Creative Entrepreneurs Club was established in September 2001 and is the network for the Creative Industries in Scotland. The Club offers a unique way for people in the Creative Industries to keep up-todate with the sector and the issues that affect it. The Club provides a forum for discussion and the cultivation of contacts. It is also a place for people within the Creative Industries to meet colleagues from a variety of disciplines and spark new business ideas.

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Creative Work Initiative

Goals • •

To give Berkshire County residents a better understanding of the diversity of jobs and careers that exist within the creative economy. To enhance the relationships between the creative economy (artists, institutions, and businesses) and students in the county in public schools.

Recommendations ¾ Develop a “Work of Art” program targeted to residents of Berkshire County. 1. Work with the Berkshire Regional Employment Board to develop a profile of the jobs and occupations within the county’s creative economy. Include designations of the various occupations, wage ranges, and skill requirements. Publish the profile and distribute it through the normal BREB channels. 2. Approach each of the newspapers in the county to do a feature story on the “Work of Art” in Berkshire County. The BREB profile would be the basis of the story, perhaps in addition to interviews with Berkshire County residents who work in the creative economy. 3. Expand MCLA’s very successful Berkshire Hills Internship Program to include Berkshire County adults. Clearly, additional resources will have to be secured for this effort and a pilot program or small-scale effort would have to be undertaken at first. Nonetheless, this would give county residents an opportunity to have firsthand experience working in the Creative Economy. ¾ Organize the Berkshire Arts Education Initiative in the County’s K-12 Public School system. 1. The Initiative should start by organizing a leadership team from the county’s public school system and a leadership team from the creative economy. The two teams should develop a plan and a set of strategies for the schools to more fully exploit the extraordinarily rich cultural learning embedded in the county’s creative economy. The challenge here is to move beyond the sometimes ad hoc and under-funded nature of programs that currently exist. 2. The Berkshire Compact for Higher Education is the logical organization to oversee and support the initiative. The Compact is working on a number of different programmatic levels on education in the county, one of which will focus on the creative economy. 3. The Compact, with the two leadership teams, should pursue a higher level of funding than currently exists for public school arts education programs. More

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funding will strengthen and expand current programs, presumably bring new programs, and, in general, increase the overall scale of programmatic activity between the schools and the creative economy. Funds could be secured from any of the foundations in Berkshire County, i.e., Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Berkshire Bank Foundation, the Legacy Bank Foundation, etc., the corporate community, the school systems, and the creative community. ¾ Establish new degree programs. 1. Since Design and Preservation have become such fast growing and important segments of arts and culture, and the creative economy as well, the higher education institutions in the county should give consideration to creating new degree and/or certificate programs in these areas. Design is becoming a fundamental part of many of the key economic sectors in our economy, and its strategic importance will only continue to grow. Preservation has slowly emerged in importance as historic restoration and conservation have become priorities for cities and towns—the goal is protecting historic buildings and facilities and incorporating them into culturally-driven revitalized downtowns.

CREATIVE WORK: MODEL Creative & Cultural Skills: UK Creative & Cultural Skills is an industry-led sector skills council for Advertising, Crafts, Cultural Heritage, Design, Music, Performing, Literary and Visual Arts. One of its programs, Creative Apprenticeships, is designed to help young people to choose from a number of creative career pathways such as design, music business, cultural heritage, and performing arts. The first 50 apprenticeships were announced in September 2006. An innovative component of the program is something called the Creative Learning Accounts. Students use the money in their account to pay for their arts-related occupational training from a network of preferred courses and suppliers.

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Creative Linkage Initiative

Goals • •

To develop more cohesion within the county’s creative economy artists, organizations, and businesses. To bring about more strategic partnerships within the creative economy, especially those that lead to revenue generation.

Recommendations ¾ Develop more formal and informal networking opportunities within the county’s creative economy. 1. Taking a cue from the environmental community, which organizes social networking and cocktail hours called “Green Drinks,” organize similar networking opportunities throughout the county. Something along the lines of “Art Drinks” or “Cocktails and Culture” would be appropriate. 2. A similar kind of networking activity should be organized between people, institutions, and businesses in the creative economy and their counterparts in other key economic sectors of the Berkshire economy, notably healthcare, plastics, KIDSPACE: Local Model of Cultural the environment, lifestyle, and financial Collaboration in Education services. The intent here is to introduce leaders and people in these other sectors Kidspace is “changing the way young people The to the creative economy and vice versa. interact with contemporary art.” program is located at MASS MoCA and is a This could open up communication collaboration of MoCA, the Williams College among the major segments of the Museum of Art, and the Sterling & Francine economy, and possibly lead to market Clark Art Institute. The program targets opportunities for artists. For example, students and teachers in the public schools several healthcare institutions in a in North Adams, Savoy, Florida, and community in Arkansas purchased Clarksburg. Kidspace includes art gallery approximately $350,000 of local visits, classroom art projects, teacher artwork, once they became aware of the workshops, the development of written and quality of the artwork being produced online arts curricula, and exhibits of student and teacher artwork. The goal is to locally. transform the way the public schools teach

Designate one-day, presumably in the off-season, as an “Arts Open House for the Berkshires.” This would be an opportunity for all county residents to experience the artwork, historic sites, museums, galleries, theaters, and businesses that make up the creative

art and develop an appreciation for contemporary art and the area’s major museums. New relationships between the public schools and area artists are also developed through Kidspace, in part through ArtShop, an after school artist mentor program.

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economy. On the one hand, this kind of activity could give some county residents a much better appreciation for the Creative Economy’s depth and diversity. On the other hand, it could help nurture the audience and market among the county population. ¾ Create a $500,000 fund that would provide financial support for new strategic partnerships in the creative economy. 1. The funds should be very deliberately focused on the creation of new “cultural products” that result in new sources of revenue for artists, cultural institutions, and commercial businesses. Examples of new cultural products could be the Berkshire Writers Conference (noted above), or the development of a signature cultural event, like a Berkshire Biennale. The Biennale would follow the model of other biennales and, in this instance, serve to highlight and promote the breadth of the artistic and cultural products and services of the Berkshires. On a more modest scale, a new product could be created by a for-profit business working in partnership with a nonprofit cultural institution. The new product could come from the intellectual property of the cultural institution or a cultural asset that could be packaged for the commercial marketplace. 2. Build the fund through several different sources: the John and Abigail Adams Arts Program for Cultural Economic Development; existing foundations in Berkshire County (see above); corporate contributions; and selected sources within the Creative Economy itself. 3. Organize an oversight board for the fund that would take responsibility for securing the funds, developing the criteria for eligible uses of the funds, and for the distribution and tracking of funds. However, create the board through an existing business or economic development organization.

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CREATIVE LINKAGE: MODELS Creative Santa Fe Creative Santa Fe was formed in 2005 and grew out of a larger economic development strategy prepared for the city in 2004. Its mission is “to promote the prosperity of Santa Fe’s creative economy by elevating its creative industries in terms of status, opportunity, capability, and economic potential.” The organization was instrumental in having Santa Fe designated as a Creative City by the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Another project related to arts and cultural economic development in Santa Fe is “Tickets Santa Fe” at the Lensic, which enables all cultural organization to sell tickets to events, which helps them save on administrative and marketing expenses. Also, a new web portal, santafeculture.org has an extensive calendar of cultural events, links to Tickets Santa Fe, an Online Magazine, a Culture Map, an Online Marketplace for local made arts and crafts, and a free classified ad section for jobs, housing and studio space. Highland & Islands Theater Network Highlands & Islands Enterprise is a government-sponsored development agency that oversees economic development for the Scottish Highlands. This agency has focused a great deal of effort on building the region’s creative industries. The Highland & Islands Theater Network was created in 2001, and a development officer was hired to work for the network. The mission is to “ensure a more stable and viable environment for the creation and presentation of professional theater in the Highlands.” The role of the development officer is to: improve perceptions of the Highlands externally through new marketing initiatives, better branding, and new networking; research and apply for new funding for its members; and promote other cooperative activities such as learning and training opportunities for youth and adults. Currently the four major projects of the Network are: •

Northern Connections - development of collaborative projects between artists working in rural communities of Scotland and Sweden. Three-day theater workshops are being held in both countries.

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Festival of Theaters in the Highlands – as part of the Scottish Year of Highland Culture, the network is proposing a festival of contemporary theater and dance. The Festival will be held in October 2007 and biennially thereafter.

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Marketing support – development of video clips of each of the theater companies, a website, and a collaborative marketing effort.

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Theater Masterclass Training Program – which brings in internationally recognized theater practitioners to present intensive weekend training programs in all theater disciplines.

Chattanooga Museum Collaborative The Creative Discovery Museum, the Hunter Museum of American Arts, and the Tennessee Aquarium have developed a partnership that has involved collaborative activity in five areas: human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, marketing, and retail buying. In terms of human resources, the Aquarium has played a leadership role, actually fusing the three separate staffs under one Human Resource Department. The result is better and more cost-effective employee benefits, and greater HR capacity. The smaller institutions have also benefited from the Aquarium’s greater capacity in accounting and information technology. The institutions are also involved in joint purchasing for their retail activities – a savings that has been a win-win for all three museums. The CEO of the Aquarium noted, “The best thing about this partnership is that each of the involved institutions gets more time and money to spend on their mission.”

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ACTION PLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION The 25 specific recommendations outlined above are programs and projects designed to strengthen the creative economy in the Berkshires. They are intended to lead to new markets for artists, arts businesses, create new products, create new jobs and careers, and generate new revenue-enhancing opportunities. In order to make sure that these programs and projects succeed, and have their full economic impact, we suggest that the following actions be undertaken.

Secure a unified brand for the Berkshire Creative Economy • • • •

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The current brand needs only refinement and messaging, not a complete identity change. The emphasis should be on the world-class nature of the creative economy, creative economy products, institutions, artists, and performers in the Berkshires. A consensus on the messaging should be secured from all appropriate stakeholders in the county. The collective research that has been undertaken for the Creative Economy Project and the Berkshire Strategy Project should be used—very little, if any, new research is needed. A marketing/branding consultant may be useful.

Develop leadership and organizational capacity • • •

Integrate the Creative Economy Project with the Strategy Project’s efforts. Create segment-specific working groups, where appropriate, for the Creative Economy, in order to move the Recommendations forward. Work with existing arts and culture organizations—Cultural Alliance, Berkshire Arts Association, Storefront Artists Project, Berkshire Cultural Resource Center—identify specific roles/tasks for these organizations.

Make a significant investment in the Creative Economy • • • •

Create New Creative Product Seed Fund — suggest $500,000 to start. Develop web page and marketing materials — estimate $100,000. Fund a Berkshire Biennale as signature event — estimate $500,000. Secure financial resources for organizational capacity — estimate $200,000.

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Educate the Berkshire community about the economic potential of its creative economy sector • • • •

Produce and distribute a four-color creative economy overview piece. Identify key stakeholder organizations, public officials, and business associations, and hold creative economy briefings and discussions with each of them Develop a media campaign and a message that can help facilitate an understanding of the creative economy in the county. Design and produce a creative economy E-newsletter, similar to that created by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative at the start of this project. On a periodic basis, send the E-newsletter to residents, the creative economy, and all related stakeholders.

Implement a few immediate “quick” wins • • •

Organize Art Drinks. Develop the connections between the hospitality industry and individual artists. Create a new website and directory.

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THE MEMBERS OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY STEERING COMMITTEE Michael Conforti, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Vice-Chair, Creative Economy, BEDC Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell Museum, Co-Chair Ellen Spear, Hancock Shaker Village, Co-Chair

David Bissaillon, Berkshire Chamber of Commerce

Tracy Wilson, Berkshire Music School

Ethan Berg, Lenox Athenaeum

Sandra Zink, Interprint, Inc.

David Crane, Excelsior Printing

Michael Zivyak, Berkshire Living Magazine

Don Dubendorf, Grinnell, Dubendorf & Smith, LLP

State Rep. Daniel Bosley,

Peter Dudek, Storefront Artists Project Nancy Fitzpatrick, Red Lion Inn Michelle Gillette, poet, author, and educator Mary Grant, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Bill Wilson, Berkshire Visitors Bureau

MA House of Representatives, ex-officio State Rep. Denis Guyer, MA House of Representatives, ex-officio State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, MA House of Representatives, ex-officio

Erik Hoffner, Orion Magazine

State Rep. Christopher Speranzo,

Lola Jaffe, Mahaiwe Theatre Board Chair

MA House of Representatives, ex-officio

Mark Jones, Shakespeare & Co.

State Senator Andrea Nuciforo,

Sam Kasten, handweaver

MA State Senate, ex-officio

Jeffrey Kleiser, Synthespian Studios

Congressman John Olver,

Maggie Mailer, Storefront Artists Project

U.S. House of Representatives, ex-officio

Sienna Patti, Sienna Gallery

William Ennen,

Suzanne Salinetti, The Studley Press, Inc.

John Adams Innovation Institute, ex-officio

Annie Selke, Pine Cone Hill Rhonda Serre, Congressman John Olver’s office

Mt. Auburn Associates

Stephen Sheppard, Williams College

Michael Kane, Mt. Auburn Associates

Eugenie Sills, The Women’s Times

Beth Siegel, Mt. Auburn Associates

Kevin Sprague, Studio Two

Devon Winey, Mt. Auburn Associates

Joe Thompson, MASS MoCA Kelley Vickery, Berkshire International Film Festival

Berkshire Economic Development Corporation Staff

Larry Wallach, Simon’s Rock College

Tyler Fairbank, BEDC

Megan Whilden, Pittsfield Cultural Development Office

Michael Supranowicz, BEDC Stephanie French, BEDC

B. Carter White, Berkshire Theatre Festival

Beth Larrow, BEDC

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LIST OF INTERVIEWEES AND FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS Pamela Art, Storey Publishing Lesley Ann Beck , Berkshire Eagle Blair Benjamin, MASS MoCA Ethan Berg, Lenox Athenaeum Peter Bergman, Writer Dan Bosley, State Representative Sandra Brown-Burton, Williams College Dance Sandra Carroll, Berkshire County Board of Realtors Stuart Chase, Berkshire Museum Beryl Jolly, The Mahaiwe Ellen Cohen, Cohen & White Realtors Michael Conforti, Clark Art Institute Lisa Corrin, Williams College Museum of Art Diane Cowen, Sheffield Pottery David Crane, Excelsior Printing Tom Curley, Berkshire Community College Bill Darger, Williamstown Theater Festival Vivian Dorsel, Writer Gail Downey, Painter Don Dubendorf, John Adams Innovation Institute Peter Dudek, Storefront Artists Project, artist Emily Dawnis, Papyri Books Peter Fasano, Designer Phylene Farrell, Berkshire Community College Nancy Fitzpatrick, Red Lion Inn David Fleming, Colonial Theater Peter Garlington, Interprint Michelle Gillett, Writer Joe Goodwin, Goodwin Studios Mary Grant, MCLA Judi Gray, Voice teacher at Berkshire Music School Lisa Green, Clark Art Institute Elie Hammerling, Pittsfield Cultural Development Board Eric Hilton, Developer Lola Jaffe, The Mahaiwe Mark Jones, Shakespeare & Company, Inc. Meryl Joseph, Artist, developer Sam Kasten, Sam Kasten Handweaver Sara Katzoff, Berkshire Fringe and Bazaar Productions Kevin Kennefick, Kevin Kennefick Photography Jim Kolesar, Williams College Roy Krantz, Developer

Peter Lafayette, Berkshire Bank Foundation Judith Lerner, Beaux Arts, artist Alan Lombardi, New Marlborough Cultural Council Evan Lurie, Composer for children’s TV show Kate Maguire, Berkshire Theater Festival Maggie Mailer, Storefront Artists Project Eugene Mamut, AniMagic Kent Mikalsen, Kent Mikalsen Studio Jason Morin, Media X Productions Steve Murray, Composer Seth Nash, Blue Q Laurie Norton Moffatt, Normal Rockwell Museum Danny O, c/o Broken Record Art Group Barbara Koz Paley, Arts Assets Sharon Palma, Southern Berkshire Chamber John Parker, Berkshire Botanical Gardens Heather Phillips, Contemporary Arts Center Amy Renak, Piano teacher at Berkshire Music School Maia Robbins-Zust, Berkshire Production Resources Jodi Rothe, Writer Diane Rousseau, Diane Rousseau Conservation Deanna Ruffer, Pittsfield Community Development Olson Ryan Timothy, Berkshire Fringe and Bazaar Productions Greg Scheckler, MCLA Fine and Performing Arts Dept. Jonathan Secor, MCLA Gabrielle Senza, Red Collaborative Ellen Spear, Hancock Shaker Village Hope Sullivan, IS 183 Paul Sundberg, Trumpet teacher, Berkshire Music School Allison Tracey, Writer Douglass Truth, North Street Studio III Larry Wallach, Simon’s Rock College Megan Whilden, Pittsfield Cultural Development Office Linda Whitehead, Writer Irene Willis, Writer Bill Wilson, Berkshire Visitors Bureau Michael Wilson, Berkshire Museum Tracy Wilson, Berkshire Music School Lisa Yetz, Berkshire Community College Nick Zammuto, The Books Sandra Zink, Interprint Michael Zivyak, Berkshire Living Magazine 50

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